Idanthyrsus
@idanthyrsus.bsky.social
Art/tech/int'l law focused | Late Antiquity and Silk Road art history obsessive
Nakadai's unmatched acting talent drove so much of Japan's great post-war cinema. "The Human Condition" trilogy, "Harakiri," "The Sword of Doom," "The Face of Another," "Kagemusha," "Ran"; the list goes on and on. A true legend of cinema has passed.
November 11, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Nakadai's unmatched acting talent drove so much of Japan's great post-war cinema. "The Human Condition" trilogy, "Harakiri," "The Sword of Doom," "The Face of Another," "Kagemusha," "Ran"; the list goes on and on. A true legend of cinema has passed.
Colonialism did not destroy these networks but rather expanded their reach. Many gems that ended up in Europe in the 19th century were not products of colonialism but of long-standing networks co-oped or centralized by colonial rulers (after the Louvre jewels production), or left on their own.
November 11, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Colonialism did not destroy these networks but rather expanded their reach. Many gems that ended up in Europe in the 19th century were not products of colonialism but of long-standing networks co-oped or centralized by colonial rulers (after the Louvre jewels production), or left on their own.
It was already existing Indian and Middle Eastern gem trade networks by which precious stones reached Europe.
Indeed, it was in this market that Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, as a private merchant, was able to acquire some of the finest gems to sell to European nobility in the 17th century.
Indeed, it was in this market that Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, as a private merchant, was able to acquire some of the finest gems to sell to European nobility in the 17th century.
November 11, 2025 at 4:22 AM
It was already existing Indian and Middle Eastern gem trade networks by which precious stones reached Europe.
Indeed, it was in this market that Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, as a private merchant, was able to acquire some of the finest gems to sell to European nobility in the 17th century.
Indeed, it was in this market that Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, as a private merchant, was able to acquire some of the finest gems to sell to European nobility in the 17th century.
I think a larger problem is that the 'experts' quoted have no expertise in the subject matter and lack knowledge on the Louvre gems. The entire analysis here is that the gems come from areas colonized in the 19th c. and therefore are result of "imperial networks." Yet the gem networks are far older.
November 11, 2025 at 4:22 AM
I think a larger problem is that the 'experts' quoted have no expertise in the subject matter and lack knowledge on the Louvre gems. The entire analysis here is that the gems come from areas colonized in the 19th c. and therefore are result of "imperial networks." Yet the gem networks are far older.
This sort of complicity with the Chinese state is in culture heritage orgs too. @combatlooting.bsky.social founder and chair Deborah Lehr was advising companies on how to do business in Xinjiang as late as 2021 and still publicly endorses Chinese heritage policies in the midst of cultural genocide.
November 4, 2025 at 2:25 AM
This sort of complicity with the Chinese state is in culture heritage orgs too. @combatlooting.bsky.social founder and chair Deborah Lehr was advising companies on how to do business in Xinjiang as late as 2021 and still publicly endorses Chinese heritage policies in the midst of cultural genocide.
Do we know what happened to the statue since repatriation, or has it suffered a similar fate as the Venus of Cyrene? Perhaps not the wisest choice to immediately send a statue back to country in a cold civil war that lost another important repatriated Cyrene sculpture less than a decade prior.
October 28, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Do we know what happened to the statue since repatriation, or has it suffered a similar fate as the Venus of Cyrene? Perhaps not the wisest choice to immediately send a statue back to country in a cold civil war that lost another important repatriated Cyrene sculpture less than a decade prior.
Again the Louvre theft is framed with baseless claims that the jewelry was the product of colonialism in an attempt to downplay the crime. This time the claims are offered by someone who is self-described as being the author of revenge fantasies celebrating such acts. These are not serious people.
![It’s a real sense of entitlement,” she says. “Like, ‘These are our jewels, this is our heritage, of course these belong in our museum, and no one will try and take them from us.’ But they are the product of colonial empires. They were already stolen property. The idea that they [might be] dismantled and the jewels cut down and sold — there’s a symbolism to that.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6gatzrhocrdy2z6gs3whkfnj/bafkreichltuvs5rqcganx6uctkfxenqlpwjhvwuqenj5647xak4oac43di@jpeg)
October 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Again the Louvre theft is framed with baseless claims that the jewelry was the product of colonialism in an attempt to downplay the crime. This time the claims are offered by someone who is self-described as being the author of revenge fantasies celebrating such acts. These are not serious people.
Important and detailed analysis on the extent of looting and cultural heritage destruction in the Sudanese Civil War and the heroic work done to document the destruction and protect Sudan's heritage. Also reveals that this year a list has finally been drafted of known looted antiquities from Sudan.
October 20, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Important and detailed analysis on the extent of looting and cultural heritage destruction in the Sudanese Civil War and the heroic work done to document the destruction and protect Sudan's heritage. Also reveals that this year a list has finally been drafted of known looted antiquities from Sudan.
UNESCO's new Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects ironically has no discussions of antiquities theft or trafficking. None of the objects in the 'museum' have context of when, how or why they were stolen; only the below boilerplate explanation as to why an object is included.
museum.unesco.org
museum.unesco.org
September 29, 2025 at 6:20 PM
UNESCO's new Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects ironically has no discussions of antiquities theft or trafficking. None of the objects in the 'museum' have context of when, how or why they were stolen; only the below boilerplate explanation as to why an object is included.
museum.unesco.org
museum.unesco.org
I can't speak to the metallurgic analysis, but the art historical work is quite bad. Not only do the examples look little like the St. Mark's Lion (and are made for an entirely different context), there are numerous examples of lions from the Tang that show little similarity that they ignored.
September 12, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I can't speak to the metallurgic analysis, but the art historical work is quite bad. Not only do the examples look little like the St. Mark's Lion (and are made for an entirely different context), there are numerous examples of lions from the Tang that show little similarity that they ignored.
The author never asks why there was such a trend for historically modeled Tibetan shrine rooms in museums. They are simulated recreations of heritage spaces lost in the destruction of 97% of Tibet's monasteries during the Cultural Revolution and something impossible to do in occupied Tibet itself.
September 4, 2025 at 4:55 AM
The author never asks why there was such a trend for historically modeled Tibetan shrine rooms in museums. They are simulated recreations of heritage spaces lost in the destruction of 97% of Tibet's monasteries during the Cultural Revolution and something impossible to do in occupied Tibet itself.
The author of this critique apparently forgot to ask Tibetans what they think of such 'appropriation'. One such Tibetan, the Dalai Lama, praised the main target of the article, Alice S. Kandell, when the new Tibetan shrine room was opened at the MIA.
new.artsmia.org/press/minnea...
new.artsmia.org/press/minnea...
September 4, 2025 at 4:26 AM
The author of this critique apparently forgot to ask Tibetans what they think of such 'appropriation'. One such Tibetan, the Dalai Lama, praised the main target of the article, Alice S. Kandell, when the new Tibetan shrine room was opened at the MIA.
new.artsmia.org/press/minnea...
new.artsmia.org/press/minnea...
It's clear that Professor Sereno, despite being certain that the meteorite was taken from Niger illegally, is not a lawyer. Vague gestures towards int'l law doesn't make a claim, relevant national law does! Niger's law does mention minerals but in context is not referring to something like this.
August 10, 2025 at 8:02 AM
It's clear that Professor Sereno, despite being certain that the meteorite was taken from Niger illegally, is not a lawyer. Vague gestures towards int'l law doesn't make a claim, relevant national law does! Niger's law does mention minerals but in context is not referring to something like this.
Also, Lehr here is repeating a common piece of Chinese gov't propaganda. The one million plus number is fabricated. It's an intentional conflation of antiquities looted from China in war and other contexts with all Chinese antiques outside the country, most of which were not looted.
August 8, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Also, Lehr here is repeating a common piece of Chinese gov't propaganda. The one million plus number is fabricated. It's an intentional conflation of antiquities looted from China in war and other contexts with all Chinese antiques outside the country, most of which were not looted.
This isn't a surprise though, given Kumar on Twitter has endorsed intentional cultural heritage destruction in India that aligns with his nationalist preferences.
Appearing on Sputnik only confirms the India Pride Project has no interest in greater repatriation ethics and operates in bad faith.
Appearing on Sputnik only confirms the India Pride Project has no interest in greater repatriation ethics and operates in bad faith.
August 4, 2025 at 9:45 AM
This isn't a surprise though, given Kumar on Twitter has endorsed intentional cultural heritage destruction in India that aligns with his nationalist preferences.
Appearing on Sputnik only confirms the India Pride Project has no interest in greater repatriation ethics and operates in bad faith.
Appearing on Sputnik only confirms the India Pride Project has no interest in greater repatriation ethics and operates in bad faith.
This is disturbing behavior by the Indian gov't. It wasn't "difficult to prove the illegality", it was impossible because they weren't illegally owned. That they abused int'l law enforcement to pursue a baseless claim is unsurprising given India is increasingly known for transnational repression.
August 3, 2025 at 5:48 PM
This is disturbing behavior by the Indian gov't. It wasn't "difficult to prove the illegality", it was impossible because they weren't illegally owned. That they abused int'l law enforcement to pursue a baseless claim is unsurprising given India is increasingly known for transnational repression.
More than anything though, the Department of Central Eurasian Studies hosted brilliant scholars doing great work, and the institutional loss will be incalculable for Central Asian studies globally. I know my own knowledge would have been stunted without encountering Beckwith's writings on Tibet.
July 2, 2025 at 3:53 AM
More than anything though, the Department of Central Eurasian Studies hosted brilliant scholars doing great work, and the institutional loss will be incalculable for Central Asian studies globally. I know my own knowledge would have been stunted without encountering Beckwith's writings on Tibet.
Gerstenblith goes further than most in at least recognizing the problems of vesting ownership in states, but still conspicuously does not discuss intentional state destruction of cultural heritage outside of war. A refusal to acknowledge states can also be bad (if not the worst) actors?
July 2, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Gerstenblith goes further than most in at least recognizing the problems of vesting ownership in states, but still conspicuously does not discuss intentional state destruction of cultural heritage outside of war. A refusal to acknowledge states can also be bad (if not the worst) actors?
@princetonupress.bsky.social care to provide any explanation as to why your director @christiehenry.bsky.social is whitewashing crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang? Was this trip made in her official capacity? Is this the official policy of your press?
June 28, 2025 at 5:59 PM
@princetonupress.bsky.social care to provide any explanation as to why your director @christiehenry.bsky.social is whitewashing crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang? Was this trip made in her official capacity? Is this the official policy of your press?
Their response to the relationship between human rights and CPAs is weak as they spend the rest of the article emphasizing the ethical and legal impact of CPAs they claim here the CPAs lack. Their inability to grapple with this is unsurprising given the AC's issues: bsky.app/profile/idan...
June 27, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Their response to the relationship between human rights and CPAs is weak as they spend the rest of the article emphasizing the ethical and legal impact of CPAs they claim here the CPAs lack. Their inability to grapple with this is unsurprising given the AC's issues: bsky.app/profile/idan...
In writing this I found an interesting quote, from when AC founder Deborah Lehr's public-affairs firm Basilinna was acquired in 2021. Perhaps someone should ask her what exactly was that project. www.wsj.com/articles/ede...
June 1, 2025 at 9:15 AM
In writing this I found an interesting quote, from when AC founder Deborah Lehr's public-affairs firm Basilinna was acquired in 2021. Perhaps someone should ask her what exactly was that project. www.wsj.com/articles/ede...
From the National Museum's database. You'll find it on pg 94 of Latchford & Bunker's "Khmer Bronzes" and labeled as 'Prakhon Chai' by the museum in the 2006 "Masterpieces of the National Museum of Cambodia" pgs 50-51. It was one of his gifts to the museum, and so far no one has talked about it.
May 2, 2025 at 2:51 AM
From the National Museum's database. You'll find it on pg 94 of Latchford & Bunker's "Khmer Bronzes" and labeled as 'Prakhon Chai' by the museum in the 2006 "Masterpieces of the National Museum of Cambodia" pgs 50-51. It was one of his gifts to the museum, and so far no one has talked about it.
The NHRC posted on Twitter an extra photo showing this paubha clearly thumbtacked(!) to the wall (the other two paubhas, as shown in thread, are bent at right angles and are used as table top). Is it too much to ask that what is repatriated is not immediately damaged by gross negligence?
April 4, 2025 at 2:30 AM
The NHRC posted on Twitter an extra photo showing this paubha clearly thumbtacked(!) to the wall (the other two paubhas, as shown in thread, are bent at right angles and are used as table top). Is it too much to ask that what is repatriated is not immediately damaged by gross negligence?